In this episode of the Draymond Green Show, host Draymond Green interviews Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban (with occasional input from Colin Cowherd) about the franchise’s decision to acquire Kyrie Irving. Cuban outlines the strategic and cultural reasons behind the move, emphasizing Irving’s elite on‑court talent and his unique off‑court personality. He describes Irving’s habit of hugging teammates, his genuine caring nature, and his willingness to engage with social issues (e.g., discussions about Israel‑Gaza, Indigenous peoples, and Ramadan). Cuban recounts how he and GM Nico Harrison evaluated Irving’s past controversies – the antisemitic Instagram video, the COVID‑vaccine eligibility dispute, and media backlash – and concluded that the issues were largely media‑driven and could be managed. He notes that teammates and former players universally liked Irving, and that the Mavericks’ organization was prepared to support him (e.g., providing food during Ramadan). Cuban also reflects on his own comfort with media criticism, his belief that Irving’s “heart of gold” outweighs the negatives, and how respecting players’ personal needs fosters loyalty. The conversation underscores the balance between talent acquisition, cultural fit, and public perception in modern NBA roster decisions.
Chapters
What's up everybody? Welcome to the Draymond Green Show YouTube channel. Make sure you hit that subscribe button. Make sure you like the post that you love. Thank you. You made one of the controversial moves as of late in the NBA and going out to get Kyrie Irving for a variety of reasons. I actually was talking about Kyrie Irving on podcast a couple nights ago. Dude just run and throw a left hand, run and hook. Like, oh my God.
You can't even talk about that shot 'cause it's like outta 2K, right? It's not even real.
Like, why would you do that? Like, what would entice you to try that? Like, at that moment in the game? But he is that skilled.
First on time, right? He's probably already shot that ball, you know, that same shot, maybe from not 21 feet, but from 18 or, you know, 15 feet.
Yes, he has. Kyrie is one of the most, if not the most skilled guy in the NBA. But at the time, he had been going through the things with, uh, the, the Jewish video, the anti-Semitic, uh, Semitic video that everyone was speaking about, that it was on his Instagram, and he had been suspended with the COVID uh, not suspended but, uh, ruled out due to the COVID vaccine and all of those things. And you took it upon yourself, you, Nico, and your staff took it upon yourselves to say, no, we, we want this guy. Like, what was the thinking behind— and then also knowing that He's a free agent and could walk. Like, what was the thinking behind, uh, process of going to get Kyrie?
One, when you watch Ky back then and now, after any game, he's hugging 5 guys.
Yes. Yes, he is.
You know, it's not like high five, quick hug, walk off the court. He's hugging you like you're related.
Yes, he is.
You know, and that, that's different. And when you talk to people around him before we did the deal, Nobody disliked him. Everybody loved him. When you talk to teammates, current and former, loved him, right? And when you asked them what the issue was, it was like, "Well, media, and Kyrie's just a caring guy and sometimes he lets that heart come through and the media doesn't appreciate." I'm like, "Shit, I can deal with the media. This is Dallas. I've grown up dealing with the media. I'll take all those bullets like I've done for other guys." you know, and then Niko knows him and, you know, help him issue. Niko's like, "This guy's great. Everybody, you know, I know the kid. He's a good kid. He's got a great heart. Just, you know, bad situation. If COVID never happened, probably be a completely different situation." Right? So we're like, "Okay, let's go for it." And let me just tell you, I love Ty to death. You know, the more I talk to him, he's just, he's got a heart of gold, right? Mm-hmm. And he cares about too many things, right? If he's got a problem, it's like he's too caring about too many things. He's the dude like when you're in college and you and your guys are talking about alcohol and getting drunk and, you know, girls, he wants to talk about world peace and the indigenous tribes of Australia, right? Yeah. And, you know, everything else is off limits. Everybody else is doing their thing, right? Kai just wants to open up and talk about that. When you're on social media and you're talking to the media about those things, there's no nuance in this world anymore, right? That's a fact. They're not going to get that. And like Kai and I will talk, like after Hamas attacked Israel, right? And we're talking and I'm like, "What do you think, Kai?" And he's like, "Look, terrorist is wrong, right? But how can you not feel for the, you know, not only the people that got slaughtered in Israel, but what's gonna happen to the Gazans, right? And what's gonna happen? He's not like taking sides and he's certainly against terrorism and he's like, "Clear, I'm against terrorism." But he wants to feel how other people feel. You know, he respects that pain, you know? And it's not just, you know, the Middle East, it's Australia, it's Sudan, it's, you know, American Indians in this country, it's Lakota tribe. Like I'm sending them links to documentaries on the Lakota tribe, right? He wants to learn and he wants to care about those things. And how many people do you know like that?
Yeah, that's a fact. Not many. So that's a special person.
He is. I mean, he's somebody that when you get, you know, there's certain people when you hug them, you feel who they are.
100%.
That's Kyrie Irving.
100%. Did you take, as a Jewish man though, did you take, like, did you get a lot of backlash from like Jewish friends or Jewish family members?
Oh, man.
Because, yeah?
Yeah, no, but the minute I talked to him, I'm like, dude, I talked to him. He's not antisemitic.
Yes.
I know people who are more antisemitic than he is, right? He's not. You just gotta talk to him. And you know, but Kyrie did have to adjust, right? He had to like, we had a conversation like, look, Ky, you can't just say these things on social media or wherever, expect people to understand how you feel about them.
Yes.
So you have to be a little bit more careful. And he goes, you're right, I will be.
And he has been. And he has been. It's absolutely wonderful to watch. I'm happy for Kai. We got a chance to win an Olympic medal together in 2016 and built a really good relationship. And I'm happy to see him doing what he loves, thriving at it, and not having to deal with all of the stuff that he doesn't like to deal with. Oh my God.
I mean, it's just the joy in his eyes. Like he's bringing his daughter into the locker room after every game and his kids when they're there. I mean, it's just, he brings joy to what he does. And he's the first to tell you, "This is my profession." Yes. "I wanna be great at my craft. I wanna be the best all time, but I also wanna be a human being because I gotta live a much longer life after I'm done playing. But I want to have my tribe, right? I want to have my community. That's important to me." And you know, we don't talk about it as much now as we did during the off-season, but you know, just being able to communicate with him about those things, It's special. And it's like now with Ramadan, right? It's not like, okay, no, it's okay, let's make sure we have food. Niko and I have the conversation the minute that sun goes down, feed the guy, right?
There you go. Absolutely.
We were playing, I forget where we were playing. Oh my God, it wasn't— anyways, he's looking, you could tell what time it was, right? And the minute he got a timeout, he ran to the back and he came out with some food and everything. And I'm like, oh shit, right? We gotta do this right. I didn't even think about it originally. And it was like the first day of Ramadan. And so Nico and I talked and okay, we're gonna get this right for him. And you know, it's just those little things that when you respect a player, you know, from Luka to Kai to all the way down, you, when you respect them, they know it, right?
Yes.
And we try to do the right thing. Homes, and it helps.
No, one, it does help. And that's what makes guys want to come back and stay somewhere for their entire careers, for the rest of their careers. It helps 100%.
All right. The NBA season is in full swing, coming down the stretch. Then we move right into the playoffs in April, May, and June. I can't wait. Spice things up with DraftKings Sportsbook, an official sports betting partner of the NBA right now. All you have to do is put down $5 and get $150 instantly in bonus bets. Pretty good trade-off. I pay $5, I get $150. North Carolina listeners, do not forget, welcome to the party. DraftKings Sportsbook now live in your state, North Carolina. Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app, takes 90 seconds. The code is Colin, C-O-L-I-N. Again, 90 seconds, download. DraftKings Sportsbook app, put in Colin. New customers bet $5, get $150 back in bonus bets instantly. That is the trade. All right, the code is always Colin. The crown is yours.
